Sunflowers to trigger community initiatives in Nordeste Amaralina

Yesterday I went with the Environmental Education Team from SEMA to attend the “Social street market” in Nordeste Amaralina arranged by the project Pact for life. The Idear was that alla state secretaries that participate in the project in some way would contribute in some way with a stand in the street and promote their individual activities that way.

The Project Pact for life – in its extended form – is only in its beginning in this part of town. Nordestre Amaralina is like a city in the city. A huge neighborhood divided in to at least three districts. During the last 10 years it has been a highly problematic area where parts have been totally abandoned by public administration and it has been very dangerous for outsiders to enter. The grate majority of the neighborhoods inhabitants lives in poverty and suffers from social exclusion. Problems continues but with the state turning its gaze towards this – quite central but – forgotten part of town it is getting more and more integrated with the whole of society.

SEMA had arranged to distribute information about the secretariats activities-to-come in the neighborhood as well as basic environmental education, environmental ethics etc. By distributing small bags filled with sunflower seeds (all handmade by non other then ME) we where able to draw attention to our table. We had also brought a dozen seedlings of native Atlantic-forest trees to distribute and help plant.

With the help of a banner showing an incomplete sunflower we also colected contacts, experiences and ideas trough asking people to write on yellow leaves made out of paper to help complete the flower on the banner.

The day could be summed up as – apart from hot but windy – productive and fun!